Ketubot 106b (קו:) — the Talmud in English

Sacred vessels,

which are used for the sacrificial service on the outer altar, which is itself a structure and not a vessel—

from what funds should they be made: from the funds designated for repairs to the Temple?

The sides of the dilemma are:

Are the sacred vessels

“needed for the altar,” and therefore

they

come from the funds designated for repairs to the Temple,

as they are used for the altar?

Or

are the sacred vessels

“needed for the sacrifices,” and were they made from the Chamber Collection,

from the money designated for the sacrifices,

?

Introduction

The communal sacrifices were brought each year from the half-shekel that each member of the Jewish people contributed every year. All the shekels were gathered in the Chamber, and shekels were taken from them and placed into three collection boxes. The communal sacrifices were purchased from these three boxes.

If additional money was needed to purchase communal sacrifices, money was again taken from the shekels in the Chamber and placed into the boxes.

The money in the boxes was used not only to purchase communal sacrifices, but also for other communal needs, as will be explained below.

The money remaining in these boxes was called “the surplus of the Chamber Collection,” and it too had certain uses.

By contrast, the money that remained in the Chamber after the Chamber Collection had been taken from it, once the year had passed and no further money was taken from it, was called “the surplus of the Chamber,” and it too had certain uses.

There was also in the Temple an authority called “the consecrated property for the repair of the Temple,” under whose authority were all assets and contributions that were not consecrated for the altar. This property was used to repair or construct all the structures in the Temple.

He said to him: No,

the sacred vessels

are made only from the Chamber Collection.

He raised an objection to him

from that which is written in II Chronicles [chapter 24], concerning the collection for the repair of the Temple that was conducted in the days of King Jehoash:

“And when they had finished

building and repairing the Temple,

they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada.

And he made it into vessels for the House of the Lord, sacred vessels.”

It is evident that the sacred vessels were made from money designated for the repair of the Temple.

He said to him:

Who

taught you

—the one who read and taught you

Writings—

did not teach you Prophets!

For it is written in the Former Prophets, in II Kings [chapter 12]:

“But it shall not be made

from the money designated for repairing

the House of the Lord, cups,

golden vessels or silver vessels—

for they shall give it to the craftsmen.”

It is evident that money designated for the repair of the Temple is not used to make sacred vessels.

And we raise a difficulty:

If so, the verses contradict one another!

And we answer:

It is not difficult—

Here, it is referring to a case where they collected money and there was a surplus,

that is, money remained beyond what was needed for the repair of the Temple; in that case, it was permitted to make sacred vessels from the surplus money.

Here, it is referring to a case where they collected money and there was no surplus,

and since the money was needed for the repair of the Temple, sacred vessels were not made from it.

And we challenge this:

But if they collected money and there was a surplus,

what of it?

After all, they did not collect it for the sanctity of sacrifices, but for the purpose of repairing the Temple; how can its sanctity be changed?

Rabbi Abbahu said: “The intent of the court” stipulates concerning them,

that

if they are needed

for the repair of the Temple,

they are needed,

and their sanctity may not be changed.

But if not,

if surplus money remains,

it shall be used for sacred vessels.

A tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Sacred vessels come from the Chamber Collection.

As it is stated

[there, in Chronicles],

“the rest of the money

and he made it into vessels for the House of the Lord, sacred vessels.”

What money has a “remainder”?

You must say that this is the Chamber Collection.

A collection was taken from the money gathered from all Israel and placed into three boxes, for the purchase of sacrifices from the money “collected” in the boxes. The remainder of the money left in the Chamber is the “remainder.”

Therefore, the sacred vessels must be made from the money in the boxes, because this money has a remainder left in the Chamber.

And we challenge this:

But perhaps,

why should it not be said that this verse teaches that sacred vessels are to be made from the money of the

remainder

that remained in the Chamber

itself,

and not from the money placed in the three boxes? After all, the verse speaks of making the vessels from “the rest of the money”!

And we answer: Since the word “the money” is written with the definite article, the vessels must be made from the more significant money, the money collected in the boxes, and not from the remainder—

as Rava said

concerning the offering of the daily burnt-offering in the morning: “

And he shall arrange upon it

the burnt-offering

[the morning daily-offering]”—the definite article teaches that the daily offering must be significant, and therefore it shall be

the first burnt-offering

in the morning, so that no other sacrifice is offered before it.

Here too,

when the verse says that they made the sacred vessels from “the remainder of

the money”—

the first money,

the significant money that was collected in the boxes for the sacrifices, and not from the remainder of the money!

He raised an objection

to what we learned, that sacred vessels come from the Chamber Collection, from that which was taught in a beraita:

The incense and all communal sacrifices—

come from the Chamber Collection.

The golden altar and frankincense

and sacred vessels—

come from “the surplus of the libations,”

and the amoraim disagree in tractate Menachot as to what “the surplus of the libations” means [see Rashi].

The altar of the burnt-offering, the chambers, and the courtyards—

come from the funds consecrated for the repair of the Temple.

Outside the wall of the courtyard—

come from the remainder of the Chamber.

And

this is what we learned: The city wall, its towers, and all the needs of the city—

come from the remainder of the Chamber!

It is evident from this beraita that sacred vessels are not made from the Chamber Collection!

And we answer: It is a dispute;

it is a dispute between tannaim,

who disagree about this matter.

As we learned

in tractate Shekalim [chapter 4, halakha 2]:

The surplus of the collection—

what would they do with it?—

gold plates, for plating the Holy of Holies.

Rabbi Yishmael says:

The surplus of produce

[the profits that the consecrated property earned from the sacrifices, as will be explained below]—

for the summer of the altar,

to offer burnt-offerings donated by the community upon it when there are no other sacrifices to offer upon it, so that the altar will not remain idle.

This matter is called “summer,” because communal sacrifices donated for this purpose are brought after the primary sacrifices, which are obligatory, similar to sweet fruit served for dessert after the meal.

The surplus of the collection—

for sacred vessels.

Rabbi Akiva says: The surplus of the collection—

for the summer of the altar.

The surplus of the libations—

for sacred vessels.

Rabbi Ḥanina, deputy of the priests, says:

The surplus of the libations—

for the summer of the altar.

The surplus of the collection—

for sacred vessels.

Both this one and that one,

Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Ḥanina, deputy of the priests,

did not agree with regard to produce,

because in their view one may not conduct commerce for profit with consecrated funds.

It follows that the tanna of the school of Rabbi Yishmael, who holds that sacred vessels are made from the Chamber Collection, follows the view that we find Rabbi Yishmael himself expressing, whereas Rabbi Akiva disagrees with him.

And we inquire about this:

“Produce”—

what is it?

And we answer:

As it was taught in a beraita: The surplus of the collection—what would they do with it?—

They would buy produce cheaply and sell

it at a high price. And the profit

the gain received—

was used for the summer of the altar.

And this is what we learned: The surplus of produce—

for the summer of the altar.

The Gemara explains:

What is meant by, “Both this one and that one did not agree with regard to produce”?

As we learned: The surplus of the remainder of the Chamber—

what would they do with it?

They would purchase wine, oil, and fine flour with it, and the profit would belong to the consecrated property; this is the statement of Rabbi Yishmael.

Rabbi Akiva says: One may not profit from consecrated property,

and

one may not even

profit

from the property of the poor.

The Gemara explains Rabbi Akiva’s rationale:

With regard to consecrated property, what is the reason that one may not

profit from it?—Because

there is no poverty in a place of wealth.

With regard to the property of the poor, what is the reason that one may not?—

Perhaps a poor person will happen to come, and there will be nothing with which to give him,

lest a poor person happen to come to the charity collector and they have no ability to give him money, since the money will be invested in order to generate a profit for charity.